


Caring Is Not An Advantage

by theconsultingstrangevidder



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, Mary Lives, Post S04 AU, Sherlolly Secret Santa 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 23:19:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17212733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theconsultingstrangevidder/pseuds/theconsultingstrangevidder
Summary: Six months after the events at Sherringford, Sherlock and John decide to go out on a double date with the loves of their lives, while Mycroft starts to reconsider his opinions about love and caring.





	Caring Is Not An Advantage

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mychakk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mychakk/gifts).



> Written for Sherlolly Secret Santa 2018. Unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine.

The day had finally come. The day that Sherlock Holmes would finally ask Molly Hooper to marry him. He would have done it a lot sooner if John and Mary had let him had his way. He was ready to ask her six months ago, three days after Sherringford, two days in to their relationship. But he had made the mistake of telling his plans to John, leading to John listing stupid reasons of why he shouldn’t do it so fast and when seeing that he wasn’t convinced called Mary to back him up.

However Mary had much more understanding for Sherlock’s feelings which was why she was the one that convinced him to wait for six months.

‘’Wait for six months.’’ she had said. ‘’And if in six months you still want this as much as you want it now, then propose.’’

‘’My feelings for Molly won’t be changed it six months.’’ he had answered. ‘’My feelings for Molly aren’t new or a result of what happened at Sherringford.’’

‘’I know that Sherlock, and i believe you. I believe in you. The reason why i tell you to wait for six months is not the same with the reasons that John gave you. I ask you to wait for six months for Molly’s sake. I know she loves you but i also know that the pain you unwillingly caused her three days ago is still raw. If you ask her to marry you now she’ll think that you are faking it, that you are with her as a way to apologise for what happened. She won’t believe you, she’ll say no and you are going to lose her forever. So wait six months and in those six months show her with your actions how much and why you love her. Don’t leave her any room for doubting your love for her. They will be moments that you’ll screw it up, because you’re still new at this relationship thing -although i will never believe that you are a virgin-’’ she laughed.

‘’I’m not…’’ he mumbled. Mary continued talking like she hadn’t heard him although he saw in her eyes that she did.

‘’…but that’s ok because everyone can screw it up in a relationship, even someone that has more experience in romance, like John for example.’’ John tried to complain but a stern look from Mary showed him that even though she forgiven him, she hadn’t forgotten him being ready to cheat on her with Eurus, so he very wisely decided to not talk at all.

‘’The point i’m trying to make here Sherlock is that i know that you love Molly, i knew it from the moment i saw both of you in the same room. I don’t doubt that you’ll still want this in six months. I just believe that you need to give Molly some time to see how much you really love her.’’ she finished and took his hand in her’s. Sherlock took a deep breath.

‘’Well…’’ he said and cleared his throat. ‘’I guess you’re right. So ok… i’ll wait for six months.’’ he finally agreed.

But even though he had agreed with Mary to wait for six months he still had his doubts, until that same night Molly herself asked him the same questions. He couldn’t forget the hurt he felt when he saw Molly second guessing his motives and feelings, although he couldn’t blame anyone else but himself for that. So he took Mary’s advice at heart, asked from Molly to give to their relationship six months so he could prove his love for her and from there on he procceded on showing her what she meant for him with either small or big actions every day.

He prepared her hot baths when he could see that she was having a bad day, he cooked for her, he was taking her out on dates for dinners and the movies or theatre she enjoyed, sudden small road trips for both of them to escape from the city. Until one day he saw it. He saw Molly looking at him without a single doubt clouding her eyes and love for him. She knew. She had finally see it clearly. He knew she would, she always saw him better than anyone else. And he knew that the time had finally come.

So here he was now, waiting at Angelo’s for Molly to come and find him, John and Mary already seatted across the table from him. He himself had asked them to be there, on the day that he would ask Molly to marry him. He wanted his closest friends to be witnesses to the most important moment in his life so far, just like he wanted them to be there for every big and important moment in his life with Molly for the years to come. It was his way to show them, how much they meant for him. He felt it was important for them to know especially after everything that happened with Mary almost dying in her attempt to protect him. Three months she was in a coma, three months of John not talking to him and blaming him for Mary getting shot. Three months of hell that he got so close to lose both his best friends.

Mary’s recovery was perceived as a miracle in Sherlock’s mind. Like he was given a new chance at life. But even with Mary being well, John was still blaming him and refusing to talk to him. Mary had told him that he needed time, but Sherlock was feeling a sense of danger coming closer and closer and he needed both his friends beside him to face it. That was when he got the visit from Eurus disguised as Faith Smith. That was when he decided to start using again in order to fool Smith and make John to at least help him with the case.

After being nearly killed by Smith and started getting clean again had he and John finally talked. He would never forget the day that his best friend had broken down and cried in his arms, after confessing that he almost cheated Mary soon after Rosie’s birth. How guilty he felt. How he couldn’t bring himself to look at her in the eyes. How he felt that he deceived her into believing that he was perfect when that couldn’t be more further than the truth. John had a good cry that day and Sherlock was there to support him and for that he was grateful. Eventually John did find the courage to talk to Mary about everything. It also took them a while to resolve their issues, the biggest one that John hadn’t fully accepted Mary’s past but they did and they were happier than ever before. And Sherlock was happy that he still had both his friends with him.

He broke out of his thoughts when he saw Molly entering the restaurant, feeling his heart almost bursting with his love for her as it always did whenever he saw her, especially after they had confessed their love -forced and unforced- to each other. She was wearing a beautiful red dress, tight but not uncomfortable, with the hem just a bit above the knees. Her neck was decorated with a beautiful star necklace, made of steel, and she was holding a simple but very elegant black purse. She looked breathtaking, but then again he always thought that.

Molly smiled when she saw the three of her most favorite people in the world sitting at their favorite table -it wasn’t their first double date after all- and started walking towards them.

Sherlock got up and after a warm but quick kiss and and mumbled welcome, he helped her sit at the chair beside him. After everyone was there and comfortably settled, Angelo went to them, took their orders -while looking quite nervous at Sherlock and Molly, making Sherlock decide to train his Italian friend on his poker face- and while waiting the four friends started drinking their already served wine -a treat from Angelo as usual- and talking about everything and nothing.

Two hours had passed, food, wine and deserts were consumed by the four friends, that were now the only costumers at the restaurant. It was the moment that Sherlock was waiting for.

‘’Molly?’’ he said and cleared his throat.

‘’Yes darling?’’ she answered and looked at him, her beautiful brown eyes shimmering with love, laughter and wine.

‘’Do you know what today is?’’

‘’No, what?’’

‘’Today is six months since we got together.’’ Molly blushed and giggled.

‘’Oh i knew that. For some reason i thought that you were asking me which international day today is.’’ she said and snorted to herself. ‘’I think i had too much wine.’’ she finished making the other three laugh along with her.

‘’No, no. But it is our anniversary. And i wanted to ask you something.’’

‘’Ask away my love.’’

‘’It’s actually a question i wanted to ask you six months ago. But our friends here…’’ he pointed at John and Mary, that were almost holding their breaths ‘’convinced me that it would be better to wait for a while before i ask this particular question.’’ he said and saw Molly getting pale just a little.

‘’Should i be worried?’’ she asked and looked at John and Mary that started to shook their heads.

‘’Well no. Molly, i know that our relationship didn’t start in the best possible way but i love you. And those last six months made me realise what a fool i’ve been for denying myself the happiness that you make me feel. And i am grateful that Mary convinced me to wait for this day to come, although i have to admit that the one that convinced me even more for this was you. You weren’t ready back then for that question, none of us was. But i truly believe that we are ready now.’’ he said and get up from his chair and moved to stand in her side, his eyes never leaving her, just like Molly’s eyes followed his every move.

‘’It’s a very important question Molly. And i want you to know that you don’t even have to answer me right away, i mean if you need sometime you can have it because i want you to be 100% sure of your answer. Molly…?’’ he said and kneeled down while taking out from his pocket a red ringbox ‘’will you please do me the greatest honor there is, and marry me?’’ he finished and opened the box.

The silence that fell on the small italian restaurant felt deafening in Sherlock’s ears. He could practically feel John, and Mary, and Angelo, and even the waiters holding their breaths while waiting for Molly’s answer. Meanwhile Molly’s eyes were welled up and she kept looking from the ring to Sherlock and backwards again. Her lips were moving but no sound would come out. Finally after the longest one minute of his life -even longer that the last seconds of the phone call that changed their lives forever- she found her voice again, if only just to say one word.

‘’Yes.’’

If anyone else said anything else after Molly, Sherlock didn’t know. He stopped listening after her agreeing to spend her life with him. He took the ring and put it in her finger, looked her deep in her eyes and kissed her with a way that showed how very happy she made him. All of his senses were focused on Molly until the eventual need for oxygen forced them to unlock their lips. Only then Sherlock heard and saw John with Mary saying their congratulations both with watery smiles, Angelo’s waiters cheering and clapping and Angelo himself opening a bottle of champane.

Sherlock had just gotten engaged to the love of his life and everything at that moment, was right in the world.

Mycroft was enjoying his afternoon tea along with some delicious treats at the Diogenes Club, when he heard a knock on the door and a second later Sherlock came through it. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of worrying seeing him, it was a default reaction whenever Sherlock was concerned and he couldn’t change it even six months after Sherringford and everything that happened then. Their relationship was better though, so that he considered it a win.

‘’Sherlock!’’ he said. ‘’What brings you here on this beautiful and peaceful afternoon? I thought you would be celebrating your engagement with Miss Hooper.’’

‘’It’s Doctor Hooper Mycroft.’’ answered Sherlock, slightly annoyed.

‘’My apologies. Are you here so i can congratulate you again? Please take a seat.’’

‘’Not at all.’’ said Sherlock while sitting across from Mycroft. ‘’I came to tell you that you were right.’’

‘’I’m right about a lot of things. To which one are you referring?’’

‘’That caring is not an advantage.’’

Mycroft couldn’t hide the surprise in his face after hearing that even if he tried.

‘’I beg your pardon?’’

‘’You’re right. Caring is not an advantage.’’ said Sherlock again.

‘’Are you having wedding jitters a day after you got enganged?’’

‘’There are no wedding jitters, and there won’t be any. I just realised something last night, right after Molly said yes.’’

‘’You realised what?’’

‘’That for people like you, and me, and Mary… caring is not an advantage. With what we do, we’ll always be in danger of someone hurting us, or someone hurting… threatening the people we care about. So for us, caring is not an advandance.’’

‘’What are you trying to say Sherlock? Get to the point.’’ said Mycroft impatiently.

‘’What i’m saying is that caring may not be an advantage, but it is what gives life meaning. It’s what makes life worth living for. I got engaged last night. I got lucky enough to find a woman -a magnificent, brilliant woman- that believes that i’m someone worthy of her love. And sometimes i believe it too. And i like who i am when i’m with her. Molly is the best thing that has ever happened to me and now i get to marry her in a few months.’’ he said and took a deep breath.

Mycroft started blinking in an attempt to get rid of the sudden water that had started to blur his vision and shallowed hard.

‘’What i’m saying brother dear…’’ continued Sherlock ‘’is that if this broken man… this junkie is worthy of love and happiness and finally got his head out of his arse and took the chance even with all the risks… why don’t you too? You are not as broken as i am. And only God knows how worthy you are to be happy. I know that you have found the one. You find her before i did. Take the chance Mycroft. You don’t have to carry the world at your shoulders anymore. That’s all i wanted to say.’’ he finished and got up from the chair. With a nod and a small but warm smile he stepped away and walked out the door.

Mycroft stayed in his chair, his eyes locked on the door where his baby brother had just closed, and his mind stuck on what he said. Could Sherlock be right? Could he possibly find happiness? Love? He used to scoff at the idea but in his loneliest moments he could admit at least to himself -even barely- that he longed for it. To experience what it felt like to be loved. What it felt like to be happy. He hadn’t felt happy since Sherlock was still a child, before Eurus, before Victor happened. His last joyful memories were him and Sherlock -a teenage with a much younger boy- playing around in a beach. Before he started ‘’carrying the world at his shoulders’’ as Sherlock had put it. Could he…

‘’Mr. Holmes!’’

He jolted and finally removed his eyes from the door and turned to look at Andrea. Apparently she was trying to get his attention for a while.

‘’What?’’

‘’The Prime Minister is waiting for you on the phone. She says is important.’’

‘’Of course it is.’’ he said sarcastically. ‘’Fine i’ll go answer the phone.’’ he finished and got out of the chair and moved towards the door. He was almost out of it when he suddenly stopped. He thought about it for a few seconds and turned back to look at Andrea. He found her looking at her phone as usual His lips curled up.

‘’Andrea?’’ he said and re entered the room, closing the door behind him.

‘’Yes Mr. Holmes?’’ she said turning her eyes at him.

‘’I was wondering if would like to have coffee.’’

Andrea didn’t speak. But her beaming smile was all the answer he needed.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope that you liked it. Please let me know what you think.


End file.
